Daijiworld Media Network – Bengaluru / New Delhi
Bengaluru/New Delhi, Jun 8: Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda’s parliamentary innings appears set to come to an end after the BJP announced its candidate for the Rajya Sabha elections from Karnataka, a move that also triggered sharp political reactions and reshaped electoral calculations in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
In an announcement, the BJP named Prof (Dr) M Nagaraja as its candidate from Karnataka, effectively closing the door on Deve Gowda’s return to the Upper House. The JD(S) supremo is among the retiring members as four Rajya Sabha seats from the state fall vacant on June 25.
The development virtually signals the end of Deve Gowda’s long parliamentary innings, spanning decades across both Houses of Parliament and the highest office of prime minister.
In Karnataka, the four seats are vacated following the retirement of BJP MPs - Iranna Kadadi and Narayana Koragappa, Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, and JD(S) chief H D Deve Gowda. Based on Assembly strength, the Congress is expected to secure three seats, while the Opposition is likely to win one.
The Congress has fielded Mallikarjun Kharge, AICC secretary Mansoor Ali Khan and the party's media and publicity department chairperson Pawan Khera.
The BJP’s move also altered the political arithmetic in Madhya Pradesh, where it fielded a third candidate, Mahesh Kewat, alongside Tarun Chug and Rajneesh Agrawal. The development has placed Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan, a former Lok Sabha MP, in a tighter contest, with the BJP aiming to capitalise on possible cross-voting from the Congress camp. As per Assembly strength, the BJP is expected to win two seats and the Congress one.
The BJP has also announced candidates Lingaraj Patil and Raghu Kautilya for the Karnataka Legislative Council elections.
Meanwhile, the Congress mounted a strong attack on the BJP, calling Deve Gowda’s exclusion an “insult” to both the JD(S) and the people of Karnataka.
Congress leader and Karnataka in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said on X, “Yesterday in the dead of the night, BJP has denied a Rajya Sabha nomination to former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, deciding to choose its state vice-president in charge of District Building Construction, M Nagaraja over ex-PM.”
He further alleged that JD(S) leadership had been repeatedly humiliated by the BJP and criticised H D Kumaraswamy for accepting the situation for political convenience.
“The constant humiliation heaped upon JD(S) by BJP and its leadership and its repeated acceptance by H D Kumaraswamy merely for sticking to a ministerial chair at any cost is highly astonishing and eye-opening. Furthermore, accepting this insult is an absolute extreme,” Surjewala said.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president B K Hariprasad said the decision amounted to a betrayal of Karnataka’s interests.
“The BJP and the NDA have insulted the people of Karnataka. No one expected them to betray like this after taking the support of JD(S) and Deve Gowda for passing various Bills in Parliament. People will punish the BJP in the days ahead,” he said.
He added that the Congress was confident of winning its allotted Rajya Sabha and Legislative Council seats based on its numerical strength in the Assembly, where it holds 135 MLAs, followed by BJP with 62 and JD(S) with 18.
Reacting to Legislative Council developments, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said political outcomes cannot always be predicted.
“In politics, like in a chess game, can one say where a pawn will be placed? Let’s see,” he said.
He also declined detailed comment on Deve Gowda’s Rajya Sabha ticket denial, stating that the party would abide by its collective decision.